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Hum 6,931

Every driver hates getting a ticket. So when you are pulled over, how do you minimize the damage to your wallet?

First, realize the risk of serious danger to the officer is quite real.

"Cops get killed on car stops," said Jerry Kane, 53, a retired New York Police Department officer. Kane said if you're pulled over, you should realize the officer will be on high alert.

Watch the full story - including more dramatic secrets from cops and other professions - on "20/20: True Confessions" Friday at 10 p.m. ET

"The most dangerous thing to the cop when he comes up to the car are the hands of someone, because they could hold a weapon," he said.

Drivers and passengers have been known to come out shooting, a fact cops are well aware of as they walk up to your vehicle.

"If he can see everybody's hands, immediately his blood pressure goes down, his pulse gets a bit slower," Kane said. "If it's nighttime, turn on the interior lights in your car. If it's night or day, lower all the windows on your car. ? And put your hands up on the steering wheel - high, where the cop can see them."

This may make the officer more understanding and lenient, Kane said.

"If you were gonna get some discretion, you now set up that possibility."

The officer may then ask if you know what you did wrong. Kane said to be apologetic, but don't feel you have to admit anything.

"You can play dumb. You can say, 'What did I do?' And if he tells you what you did, you could say, 'I must have?you know, I just didn't realize it,'" Kane said.

Does it work to cry?

"Only for women," Kane said, laughing.

What if she shows a little leg?

"Since men and women were created, attractive women get more breaks," Kane said.

Finally, do as Kane does: keep your speed less than 10 miles per hour over the limit.

"If you were my brother or my cousin and asked me, that's what I would tell you."

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John S. 359

Several years ago before I left home, one of my aunts had cancer and it was touch and go with her health. I had worked nightshift and hadn't been asleep maybe an hour or so. Mom woke me and said they had to rush my aunt to the hospital. So I jumped up threw on my clothes and sped her to the hospital, not thinking of there being a school zone since I wasn't normally in that area that time of day. Cop pulled me over and was shaking like Barney Fife as he wrote the ticket for speeing in a school zone. He didn't believe that I was taking my mother to the hospital to see my aunt with cancer.

Less than 30 minutes later my younger sister woke up late to leave for work. She sped through the same school zone, lied to the same cop--turned on the tears and said she was going to the hospital and didn't get a ticket at all.

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sc302 1,461

sc302 1,461

Pretty much what Hum has quoted is true. Sure don't speed and you won't get a ticket at all. But if you do speed (we are all guilty at some point) and a cop pulls you over, keep your hands on your steering wheel at all times at 10 and 2 unless he tells you otherwise. This will diffuse the officer or at least keep him calm, and if you have a ccw or open carry put your hands on your dash and explain to the officer that you have a weapon on you. Try to give him as much control over the situation as possible and your stop will go very smoothly and usually without much incident. If you are a male teen, expect to be manhandled.

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BillDozer357 1

There was an ACLU video from a few years ago that instructed people NOT to roll down their windows any more than was absolutely necessary to communicate with the officer and hand him your license and registration. I'll have to see if I can find it.

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123456789A 4,710

There was an ACLU video from a few years ago that instructed people NOT to roll down their windows any more than was absolutely necessary to communicate with the officer and hand him your license and registration. I'll have to see if I can find it.

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Shadrack 601

I usually don't speed on any street that has a speed limit of 40mph+. What gets me are the long stretches of country road we have here that are 30mph. I'm always looking down and see that I'm doing 45mph+ and having to ease back. My drive to work is like that every morning.... just a matter of time until I get a ticket. I'll try to remember to show some leg, but my legs are hairy as hell so I don't know if it will help much.

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Silpheed2K 73

This will diffuse the officer or at least keep him calm, and if you have a ccw or open carry put your hands on your dash and explain to the officer that you have a weapon on you.

The bold portion of this quote I disagree with. Why should you let the officer know you have a weapon on you and alarm him further? He won't know and will not know unless you tell him or he searches you or your car, which you have a right to refuse. (yet you must remain cooperative, any issues need to be handled outside of this situation)

I view it as one the key CCW rules, which is never tell anybody that you have a weapon on you.

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Charisma 2,388

Being pretty stubborn, if a woman tried the waterworks trick with me, I'd probably be more inclined to give her a ticket for trying to be deceitful :laugh:

The first time I ever got pulled over, I couldn't help bursting into tears. Definitely wasn't trying to--quite the opposite, I was trying desperately to stop. I was just really stressed and tight on money at the time and the thought of whether I'd be able to scrape together enough for a ticket just made me snap. :o I think the guy could tell it was for real though--he reduced it on the spot, didn't even make me go to court. But anyway, yeah, don't assume that it's always fake =/

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Charisma 2,388

Okay, how about the fact you're operating a (possibly) lethal weapon that can kill people in an instant? Make you slow down a bit now?

Trust me, i've been in that situation before... it's easy to think we know it all, but "do the crime, do the time" is the way I see it now. :p

Heh, I was partially joking. I'm well past the "invincible teenager" stage of life. I'm not stupid about it. But on the other hand, I've had motorbike training and done a bit of autocross--I know how to handle my car and how to drive defensively yet effectively ;)

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Nothing Here 450

Nothing Here 450

and if you have a ccw or open carry put your hands on your dash and explain to the officer that you have a weapon on you. Try to give him as much control over the situation as possible and your stop will go very smoothly and usually without much incident.

That is exactly the right thing if you have a ccw or open carry. However a few years ago I was pulled over, I explained to the officer that I had a ccw. He then proceeded to draw his weapon and told me to reach out the window with my right hand and open the door and get on the ground face down. I did so and somehow I did end up accidently getting kicked in my side, then kneed in my lower back. My firearm was then removed from my person, along with my wallet. After what seemed to be hours later, I was cuffed and pulled towards the rear of my truck, where I waited even longer till he ran me. I was allowed to leave after. Albeit with sore ribs and lower back.

Moral of this story: Be very wary of driving around with a ccw while in an area that has nothing but white cops. White cops hate Native Americans with guns.